Dogs, I think, allow humans to be pups again. In other words, they provide us with an opportunity to play. Whether it’s jogging through the park or dressing our pets up and leading them down a red carpet, dogs let us rediscover our inner child.
Henry Ward Beecher said, “the dog is the god of frolic” and if so we are all worshippers at their scampering paws. This weekend, however, was supposed to be a working weekend for my pug, Alfie. I had decided to enter her in a match show in Waterbury, VT. I even took her to the vet today to have her nails clipped for the show. My friend, Joan, however, put a monkey wrench in the plan when she told me about another event at the same time – yes, a dog fashion show. Usually, a match would trump such fun as Alfie needs to continue her conformation training, but she is in season, a tad fat from winter and well, I don’t want to pass up the opportunity to have some fun. So, I think we are headed for the red carpet for some playtime. At least Waffles and I am. Poor Alfie, I think, will be staying at home. I hoped to bring her to the fashion show in her bloomers, which in addition to helping keep her tidy during her heat cycle, also protect her from over-eager males. Yet, after taking her out on the town today, I realized that Alfie is too worked up and in turn, exciting the boys too much to expose her to the general public. So Waffles will get her day in the sun and Alfie will be back to work at a dog show in the months ahead.
In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy myself and frolic with these four-legged gods.